The history and the DNA of QRP

Exactly 20 years ago, on a hot July day, our CEO Coos heard a strange noise coming from behind him. Wondering what it was, he looked around the small mediaeval flat on the walls of Bergamo's old town that he had rented when he decided to move to Italy. The strange noise came from the fax machine: he had just received his first ever registration for a PRINCE2 course! After Coos organised his first PRINCE2 course (in Italian!) he decided to rent an office and to hire his first intern, a young university student by the name of Michelangelo, the current Chief Operating Officer of QRP International. This was the start of a team of 25 employees, with dedicated departments like operations, finance, marketing and sales growing over the years. In 2006 already 1,000 people were trained by QRP International, and in 2008 the first million in revenues was celebrated. A specific market strategy for Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg and Switzerland was developed and these countries became the core of QRP International. In 2015 QRP started a dedicated blog on different topics related to Project, IT Service Management, Agile and Change Management that now reaches more than 200,000 annual visits. In 2020 we also started offering virtual classes due to Covid, besides the more traditional live classroom format. Through all these years our main goal has been and still is to develop professionals to facilitate changes, which inspires our team and forms the value proposition of our company. We cannot repeat our Core Values often enough:

1. We do our utmost to make our clients happy
2. We enjoy working together as a team
3. We keep our word
4. We are committed to our professional development

Awesome QRP Initiatives and Fun Facts about the Team

Besides organizing courses and developing professionals, QRP International also has devoted its time to charity. We strive to give back to our community by making a positive impact on society. QRP contributes €1 euro for each person trained in the fiscal year. With regards to one of our team building activities, QRP has called into life the QRP Days. Born in 2007, the QRP Days bring the full team together for a day or two with the aim of learning from each other. During these days we also invite our trainers around the world to come visit us in Italy so we can get to know each other better. In this way, we live our values together. And then some Fun Facts about the Team! We work with 75 trainers worldwide, we have count 9 different nationalities in our QRP office and we welcome new employees by treating the whole team to a brioche. Recently we organized a table-soccer competition during lunch breaks, and we go for a coffee walk every day after lunch. Real insider tip: did you know that the most common QRP zodiac sign is a Capricorn?

QRP’s Future

At QRP we work continuously to help professionals improve their skills and support both organisations as individuals throughout their learning journey.Our mission is to help clients when they are tired of losing time and money on their projects and processes. Our training courses can help unlock individual potential and achieve a higher level of structure and efficiency in the organisation, leading to an increased productivity. In order to do so, we plan to expand our business beyond the countries that are already operational and to establish a presence in other mature markets across Europe. We stay close to our Core Values, both for working with our clients as for the relationship with our own employees. Through great social initiatives that keep developing, we continuously value having fun together as a team; we only just established our QRP Social Committee! We’re just getting started… As in 2023 we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we are grateful that we had the opportunity to work with many great clients and help many professionals achieve their goals. We look forward to continuing this journey of providing the highest quality training solutions to our clients, and to contribute to their ongoing success. For our 20 years of success we have to thank not only our clients but especially our trainers which lead us in a bright future and make us such a competitive business. Do you know who is behind QRP? Meet our team and follow us on Linkedin!

Are you looking for a light, lean, concrete and equipped project methodology? Participate in our webinar and discover PM², the European Commission's project management method. PM² is a flexible and modular project management methodology that can be adapted according to the needs of any project. It consists of three main phases: initiation, planning and execution. The methodology also includes monitoring and evaluation activities to ensure the project’s quality. PM² is designed for use in projects of all sizes and complexities. It is particularly suitable for projects that involve multidisciplinary teams and external partners, such as research and development projects. To help project management professionals better understand and apply the PM² methodology, we are hosting a free webinar available in four different languages. This webinar will cover the main concepts and practices of PM².

PM² Project Management: harmonisation and united in diversity - Webinar

We invited our experts Natacha Brenner (EN/FR/DE) & Eusebio Gianodomenico (IT) to host the webinar. In just 30 minutes they aim to provide an overview of the PM² methodology and seek to clarify what makes the methodology stand out. Our experts will highlight the advantages of using PM² in an interactive way. Questions and active participation are encouraged! Please register here! Would you rather attend the webinar in French? Please find more info here about our webinar on June 15.

Starting from 2023, PeopleCert announced that all Global Best Practice certifications will need to be renewed after three years. This way PeopleCert can assist candidates in their lifelong journey and inspire them to keep on developing their professional skills. Besides retaking the same exam or taking further courses and certifications, the third option is collecting and logging CPD (Continuing Professional Development) points.

How to log your CPD Points each year

You can further develop your professional skills by logging CPD points through the MyAxelos portal. To keep your current certifications valid, CPD points can be logged against an individual or multiple certifications. For each Product Suite, candidates must submit at least 20 CPD points each year, across different categories of CPD, for three years consecutively. At the end of this period, your certification renew-by date will be extended by three years, and the cycle will repeat. These points must be submitted by the date on which you originally passed your most recent exam within the Product Suite. For example, if you originally passed the exam on 1st April, your 20 CPD points must be logged by 1st April each year.

What are the PeopleCert Product Suites?

Renewing a certification can be done within the same product suite. An ITIL® 4 certification will not be renewed by obtaining a PRINCE2® certification, but could be renewed by taking any other ITIL 4 certification, such as ITIL 4 Specialist: Create, Deliver and Support. Product suites are as follows:

• ITIL 4 Product Suite: All ITIL 4 certifications
• Project, Programme & Portfolio Management Product Suite: PRINCE2®, PRINCE2® Agile, MoR®, MSP®, MoV®, MoP®, P3O®

What are the different categories of CPD points?

Below you can find some examples (a more extensive overview can be found on the PeopleCert website):

• Professional experience: applying best practice in the workplace or coaching colleagues in relation to best practice
• Professional education: PeopleCert certifications or other certifications from non-PeopleCert accredited training organisations
• Community: organising or attending industry or best practice related events

For any questions, please reach out to us anytime or have a look at PeopleCert’s website.

As businesses and technologies evolve, the demand for new skills is ever present in a competitive global job market and lifelong learning is essential for success. That is why PeopleCert announces the Continuing Professional Development Programme. The Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Programme is designed to help candidates stay ahead in the competitive labour market. It aims to help candidates thrive in their chosen discipline and keep them up-to-date with the skills and best practices for their professional development. Part of this programme means that starting from 2023, all Global Best Practice certifications will need to be renewed after three years. This way PeopleCert can assist candidates in their lifelong journey and inspire them to keep on developing their professional skills. All certifications will have to be renewed every three years and there will be three main renewal paths available:

1. Retake the same exam: you can renew your certification by retaking the original exam before the renewal date.
2. Take further courses and certifications: you can renew your certifications by attending another course and taking another exam, within the same product suite, before the renewal date.
3. Collect and log CPD points (from March 2023): you can renew and keep your certification by collecting and logging so-called CPD (continuing professional development) points. More information will be provided soon.

Renewing a certification for current certification holders

If you are already certified in one of the Best Practices that PeopleCert offers, you will have to follow one of the above renewal paths in order to keep your certification. This means that:

• If certified before June 2020: candidates will have until 1 July 2023 to renew their certification, regardless of their original award date.
• If certified after June 2020: candidates will have to renew their certification(s) within 3 years of the original award date.

The Continuing Professional Development programme will be for all global best practice certification groups which include:

• ITIL® 4
• PRINCE2® 5th and 6th
• PRINCE2® Agile
• MSP®4th and 5th
• MoP®
• P3O®

For any questions, please reach out to us anytime.

From the 14th to the 27th November 2022 we offer you a 30% discount on all our E-learning courses!   Have a look at our E-Learning Offer:  

6 Reasons to choose an E-Learning Training

1. Explanatory videos: our experts created a series of clear and interactive videos to teach you the method, help you pass your exam(s), and apply it to your projects
2. Interactive readings: the interactive readings go deeper into some key concepts; so you can refer to these readings if you would like to learn more about the recommended actions when applying the method
3. Mock exam questions: in each lesson you will find a number of multiple choice questions to simulate the real exam experience
4. 6 months access minimum: take the time you need to study as you will have access to the online learning platform for 6 to 10 months (depending on the online course you chose), so within this time frame you can set your own schedule and divide the workload as you like
5. MemoTrainer: QRP uses the MemoTrainer™ system designed to challenge learners by selective repetition and smart exercises to activate knowledge and stimulate long term memory
6. Tutor support: our E-learning solution is based on an easy structure and meant to be self explanatory, however for any questions you might have you can contact your tutor about the lessons you just covered

The offer is valid from the 14th to the 27th of November and is limited to 3 E-learning packages per company. Book your E-learning now!   For any questions; feel free to contact us.

We are happy to announce that QRP International is one of the launching partners of the PM² Group. The PM² Group is a non-profit consortium of professionals and organisations that facilitate and promote the usage of the PM² project management methodology.

What is the PM² Project Management Methodology?

PM² is a project management methodology developed by the European Commission. Its purpose is to enable Project Managers to deliver solutions and benefits to their organisations by effectively managing the entire lifecycle of their projects. PM² has been developed and supported by the European Union Institutions, with their projects in mind but is transferable to projects in any organisation. Until the end of 2016, the PM² Methodology and Certification was only available to the staff of EU institutions. With the OpenPM² Initiative, the European Commission decided to provide open access to the PM² Project Management Methodology beyond purely EU institutions and including Contractors, Member States and finally all European citizens. PM² captures the experience of EU institutions from managing thousands of projects, change initiatives, programmes and grants.

What is the purpose of the PM² Group?

The purpose of the PM Group is to facilitate access to PM² learning materials, training, and PM² Certification for non-EU staff members. The PM² group is the first public PM² certification program to comply with the internal certification program of the European Commission for EU staff. Like all the other members, QRP International is an active contributor and supporter of the PM² Methodology and works to establish a foundation for better and more efficient European projects. The PM² Group is the first organisation to offer a public certification based on the internal certification guidelines of the European Commission with the same certification levels for theoretical and practical knowledge.

Why choose the PM² Group Certification?

The PM² Group offers PM² Project Management Methodology courses in accordance with the European Commission, Centre of Excellence in PM² (CoEPM²), to non-EU staff. QRP International is part of the PM² Group, the only certification institute that meets the European Commission’s standards. Both certification programmes have exams with the same covered topics, the required level of understanding, number of questions, passing score, and exam time. For the first time, non-EU staff can now be certified the same way as EU staff. In short, the PM² Group Certification:

• Offers a Programme and exam which align 100% to the EU syllabus
• Is equivalent to the internal EU Certification programme
• Is available in multiple European languages, among which English, French, Italian, Spanish & German

Who is the PM² Group Certification for?

PM² helps establish a common project management language and process for projects across organisations, increase effectiveness, collaboration efficiency and success in the coordination of projects in the EU. Using PM² is especially effective for managing projects within:

• European institutions
• Public Administrations and non-governmental organisations
• Service Providers to these administrations and institutions
• European coordinated or funded projects
• Private companies with a significant project portfolio

The PM² Foundation certification is aimed at Project Managers and aspiring Project Managers. It is also relevant to other key staff involved in the design, development and delivery of projects. Would you like to learn more about the PM² Project Management Methodology? Take a look at our website or write to us for more information!